海角七號之旅 III – Kenting Journey (Updated)

We spent 3 relaxing days at Kenting. This was the place where the box-office movie “Cape No. 7” was shot. There were so many things to do and places to explore. Our hotel was exceptionally beautiful with all the 5-star facilities. We stayed just 10min-walk away from the Kenting Night Market and the “Small Bay” beach.

We hired a local driver to bring us to all the key attractions. The 7-seater MPV cost us NT3,000/day. It took us 2 full days to explore Kenting. The weather was great (clear blue sky in the day and cooling at night) for all our day and night activities. Kenting is stunning. It reminded us a bit of South Africa, Australia, Phuket, Goa and Bali. During our trip, we saw road crabs and mountain goats dashing crossing the road. In total, we covered a total of 180km – from rocky mountain to cold underwater. Our driver was very good and he planned our our trips very well. He spoke about how the popularity of the movie “Cape No. 7” improved the tourism in Kenting.

Here are our Top 12 favorite Moments in Kenting:

NUMBER 1 –SHEDING NATURE PARK(社頂自然公園)
This is a free park where we saw dozens of limestone caves, stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and other limestone erosion. We spent about 1.12 hr here, hiking 2.2km exploring the deep narrow limestone valleys.

NUMBER 2 – HOUBIHU WATER ACTIVITES (後壁湖)
We did both dry and wet underwater tour. On our first day, we scouted the seabed in a glass-bottom boat. It was a 40min-ride and it cost NT600/person. The next day, we went snorkeling in our wet suits and took a hell-ride on the banana boat out in the wavy sea. The water was very cold and the dry suit barely kept us warm. The banana boat ride was the best! The sea was very choppy and the waves were quite big. The ride was pretty rough and poor Harshad lost his grip and flew out of the boat. In the end, the boat did a U-turn to recover our lost friend. Seeing our poor buddy floating alone helpless in the open sea was quite a hilarious sight. For a minute, our fun ride became a rescue mission.

NUMBER 3 – MOUNTAIN MOTORBIKING & ARCHERY
For NT1,000/bike, we had our first mountain motorbiking. It was very exciting and fun! We attended a 15min-crash course at the foot of the mountain where the instructors taught us how to handle our bikes. After a couple of rounds in the circuits, we followed the instructors up to the mountains where we rode on narrow hilly paths. Do not underestimate this little motorbike, it can hit up to 80km. As we were new and unfamiliar with the mountain tracks, we kept our speed below 40km. Going up and down the slopes was very fun! (How I wish I can knock my other 2 buddies off the track!) We also tried archery but we kinda suck in this. For NT100, we got 12 arrows. It was strenuous and difficult to aim. We stick to our wheels and dumped the arrows and bows.

NUMBER 4 – JIALESHUI(佳樂水)
This was where we saw many rock formations along the eastern coastal of Kenting. We paid NT80/person and rode on a tour cart. The entire tour took less than 30 minutes. Along the coastal road, the tour guide made several stops and introduced some of their famous rocks. Many of these nature rock formations resembles animals, goddess and even the map of Taiwan! (Tip: It is best to sit on the right of the cart so you get a clear view of the coast.)

NUMBER 5 – SOUTHERN MOST POINT OF TAIWAN (臺灣最南點)
There was nothing much here except it was more for the “feel-good” reason to be here. We just want to leave our mark here – so we can come back and tell our friends that we have been to the southern most point of the Taiwan island. Same like what we have in Singapore – Asia’s Southern Most Point can be found in Sentosa Island.

NUMBER 6 – ELUANBI LIGHTHOUSE (鵝鑾鼻燈塔)
The Eluanbi Lighthouse is one of the popular tourism icons of Kenting and it is just within 1km walk away from Taiwan’s Southern Most Point. “Eluanbi” is a Taiwanese Aborigines name meaning “Sail-Nose”, describing the cape. According to Wiki, the Eluanbi Lighthouse was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1888. Accidents in the area were quite often due to hidden reefs. In 1888, an English architect W. F. Spindey, a member of Royal Geographical Society, was hired to construct this lighthouse as a guide for nearby ships. The lighthouse is the only armed lighthouse in the world, with a trench surrounding it and many gun holes on the wall. The extra fortifications were required at the time it was built because of frequent raids by local aboriginal tribes.

NUMBER 7 – NUCLEAR PLANT WATER DRAINAGE DOCKS – CHUSHUI(出水)
We went to the beaches in Kenting and realized the waters were all very clear and blue. However, the driver told us those were still not the lightest blue. He drove us to a dock near Nanwan Bay where we saw the discharge of very light blue sea waters. These weren’t normal stream waters from the mountain. This hot discharge sea waters was used to cool the reactors at the nearby Nuclear Plant. It could be due to the different water temperature that caused the water looked lighter than usual. There are many articles on the internet citing that these discharge water (also known as Thermal Pollution) caused bleaching and destruction of the coral reefs in Kenting.

NUMBER 8 – CHUHUO NATURE FIRE PARK (出火)
Also known as the Eternal Fire. This is one special space where natural gas leaks out from the mud-stone ground and when lighted up the fire never stops. However, not to fret, it will not cause any combustion or explosion. Though, the signage says, no cooking or camping, we saw many people came here to cook pop-corns. Many lighted up fireworks up in the sky. It was a beautiful sight with fire sparks splashing around and when u look up high, the pitch dark sky was similarly filled with shimmering, sparkling stars – very pretty.

NUMBER 9 – HENGCHUN ANCIENT CITY (恆春古城)
This an old town in Hengchun, which used to be coastal defense during the Qing Dynasty, with huge tall brick walls and North, South, East and West gates. It is now Taiwan’s most retained ancient city. Despite taking some damages during the last earthquake in 2006, most of these old architectures were restored. There wasn’t many tourists around when we were there, pretty quiet town, possibly it was a weekday. However, we were told that it’s popularity has increased since 2007 after Cape No. 7 (海角七號) was filmed there. We even went to check out Ah Ga’s house (character from the movie). You can visit “his house” during the day at a small entry of NT50.

We loitered around the old street for a while, had lunch and tried to look for interesting shops. Then after passing by some souvenirs and famous pork noodle stores, we found a unique Glass (琉璃) store, which says “DIY your own glass”. Harshad and Tracy spent a good one hour in the store, getting their glass molded to a unique accessory for themselves. Sadly, that was the only interesting store we found in the old street, but still it’s a cool place for photography with the brick walls.

NUMBER 10 – EAT, SHOP, CLUB AT KENTING NIGHT MARKET (墾丁大街夜市)
The Kenting Night Market is unlike other night markets we have visited in Taiwan. It reminded me of the Kuta Shopping Street of Bali. As Kenting is a beach holiday destination, we saw branded stores like Havanas, Billabong and Rip Curl. Beside the usual Taiwanese street delicacies, there are a lot of other Asian restaurants (Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese). Starbuck, MacDonald and KFC are also there. There are at least 4 convenience stores (7-Eleven, Family Mart) on the same street.

On our last night, we paid NT200/person and visited a pole-dancing bar of scantily dressed transvestites and hot bods. You can never imagine how wild the night went! Harshad demanded me not to blog any of the details here as it would be too scandalous for him. Well, in short, Tracy and Harshad were stars of the night. A “near-naked” handsome male dancer came up to Tracy and allowed her to run her hands all over his chiseled body. She shyly complied and grabbed a handful of his tight firm chest! I can’t say much for Harshad. He went on stage with 3 sexy girls and they “did something” to him which got the whole audience wolfing, screaming and clapping. It was a good thing that the bar forbid any photography during the session. If not, I could blackmail my buddy for a million dollars.

NUMBER 11 – SUNSET AT GUANSHAN (關山)
Not your usual “romantic” sunset spot – join hundreds of people (busloads of tourists) watching the famous sunset at Guanshan. Be there early to get a good spot. Many were there to catch the last sunset of 2010.

NUMBER 12 – WIND BLOW SAND (風吹沙)
When I was there, it was extremely painful to stand in the way of the “raining sand”. The very fine sand hit me like little needles all over my body – in the ears, mouth, eyes and hair. The strong ocean wind blow up the sand 10m up the cliff, deposit the sand on the road. Over a short period of time, a sizable sand dune was formed, covering and blocking the entire road. Never underestimate the forces of nature.

I got the local hotel to recommend the motorbiking. It is the same place as we did the archery. As it may be 4-5 years already, it is wise to check your local hotel for a tour map. Most of the attractions are 15-20mins drive away one another. So, it won’t be very far away from most of the major resorts and hotels.

I really enjoyed your post and i am hoping to do all that you have done when we visit Kenting this December 2014. I am really looking forward to the snorkeling. Was it worth it? Did the under water scenery exciting? or is it just an eye wash? (because i didn’t enjoy the submarine ride in Jeju, South Korea which promised super views but was a total let down.)

Thanks for your kind words.. Skip the snorkeling, it is not as good as those in Thailand or Maldives. Moreover, it is winter so the water will be cold. The submarine was so so if you havent try it before. For underwater corals and views, Kenting isnt the top spot for this. The best corals i have seen are still in Maldives and Malaysia.

Need your advise as below:
1. Can recommend ur drive if he is good and maybe you still keep his contact
2. If I m from taoyuan airport, which is the best way to reach kenting if I don’t wan miss any nice scenerary? Take hsr reach zhuoying then private cab or?
3. Meanwhile, do you think cab from kenning to tapi good idea or hsr?

1) Here is the cab driver’s number: +886 963-022-090 (can’t remember his name as that was 4 years ago). If the number is not valid, you can get the hotel to arrange a local private driver. He planned a nice itinerary for us. You can view the itinerary in one of the comment threads below.

2) The fastest and cheapest way to reach Kenting is to take high-speed-rail (about 2 hrs) to Kaohsiung. From Kaohsiung, you have to take a yellow taxi to Kenting (and that’s where you get to visit old towns and scenic valleys). You may flag down one from the street but usually, he may not want to. It is better to stay 1 stay in Kaohsiung (to shop and explore) and call for cab service the next day. Do research on the things you want to see and show it to the taxi driver.

3) No.. it is too far to ride from Kenting back to Taipei if you are rushing for time. It is better to take the high-speed-rail. If you can drive and do have lots of time, put on the GPS and go explore Taiwan.

Hahah.. I didn’t pay much attention on the food… Explore around the night markets and jump into the local eateries. Don’t dine in the hotel, their food was so so for me. Best way to ask is to ask the staff at the hotel. Don’t ask the driver – they may be biased and bring you to the wrong places.

We didn’t fly in to Taipei. We started our journey from Kaohsiung. From there, you can hired a transfer/cab to Kenting. The scene is beautiful and you can arranged with the taxi driver to stop by some scenic spots. He should be able to share with you stories about the places. The journey takes about 3-4 hours, depending on your stops.

If you are in Taipei, you can take a domestic flight or train to Kaohsiung. There is no direct speed transport from Taipei to Kenting.

Hi there, this is great. I am going Kenting early March 2014. One question: The driver you hire NT3000/day is the market price? Is it easy to find a driver when we arrive as in walk around the street etc? Which hotel did u stay which is near the Night Market as you mention in 1st paragraph? Hope to hear from you soon!

Hi Julia, the hotel we stayed is Chateau Resort. It is a 10-walk to the night market.

No, you can’t easily flag down a private car. It is best you ask the hotel staff to arrange a private car for you. Yes, the rate NT3,000 was pretty standard back then. I expect this to be much higher given the inflation and increased fuel price.

Hi there, thanks for the informative blog! can i know which are the places that the cab driver brought you to? and how do we get to the places for the glass bottom boat ride? we should be staying in Minimi Inn at Kenting Street. Thanks!

The driver brought us to all these places on my blog. I cant remember the exact location but all these places are within 10-15 minutes ride away from one another. You may ask the locals at your hotel. They will be able to point the attractions on the map for you. You are staying pretty close to where the activities are. To get to those places, you need to hire a local cab for a day tour.

Hi thanks for the prompt reply! If it’s convenient, can I know your itinerary on each of your Day 1 and Day 2? Did you engage the cab for just one or both days? Like chubbysillyme, I’m also thinking of doing some activities on our own for Day 1 and engage a private guide for Day 2, so am thinking what are the places that we could explore on our own and which are those that we need the guide. Any advices? Thanks!

Sure.. I would love to share. We went sight-seeing on Day 1 and did all the sports/outdoor stuffs on Day 2. (depending on the weather too!)

We have a good driver who knows how to bring us to places (according to the timing and location). In fact, we didn’t have any itinerary when we were there. We just told the driver we need him for 1-2 days and we want to go all these places on the map (given by our hotel). He planned the timing and sequences for us.

hi there, ur blog is really helpful! my friend and i will be travelling from tpe-zuoying/kaoshuing-kenting. we’ve been trying to plan our itinerary but find it kinda hard cos a lot of the sites are in trad chinese… we’re considering to stay 2 or 3 nights in kentng.. 1 day will be dedicated for sea sports in the day and night market at night.. the other day will be on sightseeing.. do you think it’ll be enough? also, what time do u think we should start the sightseeing tour if we were to engage a private guide? tks!

hi! tks a lot for your reply! i’m thinking of engaging the private guide just for one day and the other day will be sea sports and night market on our own. do u think it’s ok?
intend to do water sports at chateau resort which we’ll be staying one night as..i believe it’s also near to the night market/kenting street?
do u happen to have any recommendation for minsu?

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for Minsu in our last trip…Can’t help you much in that. Yes, your 2-day activities are fine. The water sports we did (snorkeling, banana boat) are outside the resort – that is why we need to take the private car. But if you are doing just swimming by the beach…you don’t need a private car the 2nd day. Yes…the Chateau Resort is near to the night market. 🙂

Nope.. I am not sure where is Kentington resort. As long as you are in Kenting beach area, it is easy to move around (hire a private cab). Yes..November is fine – between 22-28 degrees. Kenting is usually packed in the summer season (June to Sept – also typhoon season)… And yes, you can visit all those places I mentioned here in this blog. Travel safe. Have fun!

Here is the cab driver’s number: +886 963-022-090 (can’t remember his name) This is the peak season but back in Dec, he charged NT3000 for a 8-hour tour. It may be different charges in summer. You may discuss your own journey with him so he can plan the timing with you.

If you can’t get the driver, try booking it over the hotel counter. They have a network of taxis.

The club is a fun dress-up club. Didn’t feel any danger at all. Mostly tourists in there. Travel safe, be alert and have fun!

Hi Cheryl.. I can’t remember the name. But the club is located along the main shopping night street (5-min walk from KFC). It is pretty loud and the entrance is blocked by a curtain. There will be girls or male bouncers wooing the passerby to come in. The show restarts every 1 hour.

Thanks for sharing this very informative post. I’ve been in Kenting but after reading your blog I realized how little I’ve seen of Kenting. Your pictures make me want to head to Taiwan and visit Kenting again. Keep up the sharing! 🙂

I read through ur post and realised that you covered quite a number of interesting activities in kenting. I have a few questions that I hope you can help:

1. May I know whether is it possible to cover 1 water/ land sports, sightseeings (number 4,5,6,and 12) from 2pm onwards till sunset at guanshan? Im planning to just snap photos for sightseeing and rush to the next one.

2. May I know what is the best time to watch the sunset at Kenting because there’s one blog that says 530pm is too late?

3. Also, may i know how long will a water sports say banana boat takes? Any idea? If not, I will have to change my itenary and push water activities to the next day morning. 😦

Sorry for bombarding so many questions :X Hope you can help! Thanks! 😀

1) Yes, it is possible to do 4,5,6 and 12 from 2pm to sunset. Item 4 is about 45 minutes. You have to do 5 and 6 together as these 2 locations are just beside each other (and it takes about 30mins each). Item 12 is the shortest, we spent only 15 minutes there. However, it is a little tight if you include a water/land sport. The mountain motorbiking takes about 1:30 hour. Also, you have to include time for traveling to these places.

2) During winter (Dec), we were there at 6:15pm and it was very crowded. Guanshan is not the only spot to watch the Kenting Sunset. There are other quieter places on the western coast to see the sunset. If you want a good space to setup your camera, be there like 5:30pm. I believe the sunset timing may be different during summer. Ask the local, they will be able to tell you.

3) The banana boat (30 minutes) + snorkeling (90 minutes) = 2 hours. The local will offer you a package deal for 2 activities (wet-suit included). Just make sure you hold tight to the banana boat. The waves were very choppy for us back then. Lots of fun!

I happened to come across your blog while surfing for information regarding kenting. I am planning to go kenting this coming june with my sisters and cousin. I would like to check with you which hotel did you stay when you went to kenting?

Yes, it is recommended that you book a local driver – he will bring you around to those attractions that you can find on the tourist map / lonely planet book. There is no public transport in Kenting (bus or taxi that you can flag down). It is best you get a driver from your hotel.

Our Kenting driver’s number is +886 963 022 090. He was recommended by our hotel front desk.
He charges NT3000 per day (about 8 hours). Call him when you are in Kenting.

If you are in Kaohsiung and you want a taxi ride to Kenting. Call Mr Hong (yellow cab driver at +886 931 955 190. He charges NT1,500 to Kenting (1 way) or NT3,500 (10-12 hours 1 day return trip around Kaohsiung-Kenting-Kaohsiung)

Excellent advice! I just called the driver Mr Hong. He said one way not on the same day is 2000NT.
It is still less expensive than my travel agent recommended me a private car 3700NT !!!
We will stay in Yoho Resort.
Do you know it is good? Is it close to Night market or very remote hotel?

We come with 2 boys 6 and 8 years old.
What do you recommend for them?

Your boys will certainly enjoy the underwater ride (glass-bottom-boat) and explore the narrow ravines at Sheding Park. The sea-activities are too rough on them. The boys may also like the mountain-biking (however, the adults have to keep them tight on the bike).

I am not sure about the location of your hotel. Kenting is pretty small. However, there is no cab there (only private drivers from hotel). So, it is best to stay near the night market if you enjoy shopping and eating.